Winchester District Council is to spend £1.5m on repairs to the city's River Park Leisure Centre (RPLC) to maintain the 35-year-old building fit for purpose.

A Sports Facilities Study carried out by RQA consultants in 2008 recommended "the need for high expenditure on the building structure and plant over the next few years to maintain the building to an acceptable standard."

It is likely that the six-month electrical and mechanical works will be carried in April 2011, when the existing management contract for the leisure centre comes to an end - the most financially astute time to close the facility to the public.

The cabinet has also proposed making some cosmetic improvements to the centre, including an extension to the gym and changing rooms, improvements to the health suite, reception and wet side changing rooms, and the construction of a new fitness studio and a climbing wall.

An external independent assessment of the relative benefits of either tendering a new ten-year management contract or extending the existing agreement with DC Leisure Management for a further ten years is also currently underway, with a decision expected by July.

However, despite the planned repairs, the cabinet has projected that it is likely that River Park Leisure Centre will have to be rebuilt in 2021 at an estimated cost of £22-25m.